How Do Robots Work?

   Wondering how robots work? Various robots operate in different ways, but they all share a similarity
in terms of their design and operation.

   Robots are made of a few basic parts :- a body, motors/engines that help move the parts of a robot, sensors that provide input to the robot and a microprocessor that acts as a brain. A robot may be programmed to perform the same actions over and over again , however most robots decide what to do based on the information from their surroundings. These robots need sensors to collect this information. For example, if a robot is programmed to move around obstacles it needs sensors in order to sense the presence of an obstacle. 

   However in order to understand the data collected by the sensors, a robot requires programming. Programming helps the robot understand the data given and to perform the required action. This programming in turn helps a robot's microprocessor tell the mechanical parts what to do. The microprocessor will state the position required of a part, the way it should be turned,etc.

   This process is the same for all robots no matter their differences in functioning,size,etc.

Your own Robocleaner!

  Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the FZI Research Center for Information Technology, have designed a humanoid robot. The robot, ARMAR, can process a persons commands and gestures and respond to them. If I asked for a bottle of water from the fridge, it would go to the fridge and get me one. It can also learn from human actions, such as emptying the trash can. It is able to do this as it is equipped with sensors and cameras. Here's a video clip of it.

-Mithil Hari

Intelligent Robots

 I was surfing the web when I came across an article , that states that  new robots will be able to process data from their surroundings without a human telling them to. Its supposed to be done
with a low cost camera like the one in the Microsoft Kinect. The camera will build a three dimensional model of the environment, as the robot moves around, it also will be able to detect any changes in the build by comparing the previous images with the latest.

 This would overall, allow the robot to move around a building by
creating a course for it without any human input. Let's hope it works!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216134110.htm

What are Robots?

    The word "robot" made its public debut in 1921, when it premiered on stage in Karel Capek's play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots). The play told of a world in which humans relaxed and enjoyed life while robots - imitation humans - happily did whatever labor needed to be done.  
   The term "robot" achieved its own world domination in 1923, when the play was translated into English; it quickly overran its competition, precursors "android" and "automaton." 
   The modern day definition of a robot is any mechanical/virtual device that is controlled by a set of commands in order to do some work. 
   Robots nowadays are used everywhere:- as vacuum cleaners, machines, toys etc.

- Mithil Hari